What is the smell people get after being outside and what causes it?
If you’re in an area with a lot of plants (as opposed to Midtown Manhattan), you’re getting a lot of oxygen. But I think mostly it would be lack of indoor smells.
It could be a combination of pollen, smog and sweat also.
I think it depends on who was doing what when they were outdoors. My kids come in smelling like dirt, sweat, and grass… With a pinch of wet dog. It can be nasty.
Otherwise, I think it’s just a combination of aromas of pollen, plant life, and whatever’s riding on the fresh air that sinks in to your clothes and hair.
Geosmin often contributes to an ‘outside’ smell.
Oh wow! I never knew that smell had a name.
Actually, though, what I think of as the outside smell is less earthy and more of a fresh smell. Could it be ozone I’m thinking of here?